Motorcycle Safety Newsletter

Kathy English 850-973-5216 was the woman I spoke to five years ago at DOT in Tallahassee. She was able to tell me what data was publicly available. She's probably moved on, but you never know.

She sent me a database of '98 and '99 crashes. I think I want to get a set of electronic files to create our own database of motorcycle crashes (or just crashes in general and we're able to look up those involving motorcycles). The one paper report I gave you came from that database. There was a $2 charge for it.

I also talked briefly once to an FHP trooper friend who said that there are other types of documents available. These also have a handling charge, whether I drive to Tallahasses or not. Go figure!

Things to do

  • Write a business plan
  • Contact DOT and see if Kathy English is still there
    • Establish a working relationship with someone at DOT
  • Request the latest public databases. Install them on your computer and mine.
  • Research the aviation industry's safety magazines.
    • There was one I read while a student pilot. I don't recall the name.
  • Find out every piece of information that's available on FL crashes.

FL only? Why not US?

  • Pictures, reports, investigations, eyewitness accounts.
  • Get information on Bike Week and Biketoberfest
    • How do we use these venues to break into the market
  • Sketch up a design for the newsletter.
    • Hardcopy
    • Preferably in electronic format, a PDF file is easily emailed.
    • We want to have people forward them.
  • Investigate what problems might arise from using publicly available facts to write stories about real people, even if names and locations are changed. Can we be sued?
  • Get a lawyer on retainer?
  • Develop policy for those who wish to submit editorials.
  • Develop policy for responding to editorials.
  • Establish a forward?
    • Explain the purpose of the newsletter
      • Draw from other safety newsletters, aviation for example
      • Learn from other's unfortunate mistakes
    • Explain that the reports are real, and available at cost to anyone.
  • Choose a name and web domain

...much later...

  • Discuss what is needed for a regular routine where we order reports from our sources, writeup the stories for the next issue, handle correspondence from readers
  • Establish an advertising rate for display ads.